Dow Bay Area Family Y partners with Bay City NAACP for health and wellness fair, free fitness classes today

View full sizeMLive.comJoan Metropoulos leads an aerobic class at the Dow Bay Area Family Y, 225 Washington in Bay City, Thursday, July 26, 2012.

BAY CITY, MI —

The Dow Bay Area Family Y and Bay City Branch of the NAACP are working together to improve community health.

The organizations are providing a free health and wellness fair today at the Y, 225 Washington Ave., from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The health and wellness fair features free fitness classes taught by Y instructors and interactive experiences with vendors.

“We hope that people learn the value of preventive health and learn about what their community has to offer when it comes to health and wellness," said Cait Chojnacki, Health and Wellness Director at the Y.

McLaren Bay Regional Health, the Bay County Health Department and other local health organizations will be on hand to answer questions and provide information on a variety of wellness issues.

Topics include preventive health practices for common illnesses, preventive measures for the elderly, addressing common diseases in the minority population, women’s men’s and teen health issues and the importance of diet and exercise.

Blood pressure readings and vision screenings are available.

"It is so often that we go through life conducting our day to day activities that we seemingly neglect our health and well being, but our health is just as important as our jobs, our children and our homes that need continuous maintenance," said Darold Newton, president of the Bay City NAACP branch. "Without our good health — mental and physical — none of the aforementioned can be properly attended to."